Modi & Obama most influential people on Internet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named among the 30 most influential people on the internet by Time magazine in a list which also features US President Barack Obama.

The list, which analysed social-media followings, site traffic and overall ability to drive news, also includes British author of the Harry Potter series J K Rowling and singers Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Time said the Indian Prime Minister has roughly 38 million followers on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, putting him ahead of any other leaders in the world except Obama.

"And unlike many of his contemporaries, Modi recognizes that social media can be invaluable when trying to reach India's 200 million-plus online population directly," the Time magazine stated.